A listener named Bernie e-mailed us earlier this week with the saga of locking the key in the boot of his 10-year-old BMW 318i.

Tragedy is, Bernie's always wanted a BMW, and he got one - used - aged 48. That's Bernie, not the car. Long story short, after some other problems, his kid locks the keys in the boot. Calls the BMW dealership. They won't give him the key code, but they will sell him a replacement remote key for $628 or a manual key for $312.

And it has to be shipped from Asia. And they won't get the ball rolling without payment up front. And it'll take five days.

Anyway, he calls out some whiz-kid locksmith who cracks the boot, retrieves the key and solves the problem all in under two hours.

This whole key rip-off has to stop. And it's not just BMW. It's tantamount to rape.

Save thousands - get the lowest price on your next new car here.

PRESS RELEASE

Bathurst specialist and V8 Supercar driver, Nathan Pretty will give car enthusiasts a chance to experience the ride of a lifetime in a Holden Commodore race car at the Bathurst 12 Hour Showroom Enduro February, 2010.

The “Pretty Roar V8 Experience” is a Holden Commodore race car specially engineered to cater for passenger rides and fitted with three passenger seats. The car is powered by a 6.0 litre LS2 V8 engine topped with a PWR Supercharger, producing a V8 Supercar-like 450kW and 650Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0~100km/h in approximately four seconds.

Nathan Pretty has run the Pretty Roar Experience for the past 3 years and believes with only 48 spots available, interested parties should get in early as it’s a chance not to be missed.

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience. You don’t often get a chance to do a lap around Bathurst at 60km p/h let alone the speeds that a V8 Supercar can do,” explained Pretty.

“The majority of participants can’t talk after the ride. They are just all smiles and are in awe of what a race car can do,” said Pretty.

PRESS RELEASE

Peugeot has launched a new 407 in Australia, now available exclusively with the company’s renowned HDi diesel technology.

Peugeot made a number of interior and exterior cosmetic improvements to fine tune the distinctive design of the 407, while standard specification has been improved across the range.

The new 407 is available in two model grades, SR and ST – both featuring Peugeot’s versatile 2.0-litre HDi FAP engine.

This engine produces 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque in 6-speed automatic versions, while the 6-speed manual versions get an increase in power to 103kW.

The manual version achieves a (combined highway and city) fuel consumption figure of 5.6 litres/ 100km and CO₂ emissions of 150g/ km, while the automatic models achieve numbers of 7.1 litres/ 100km and 189g/ km respectively.

Externally, the new 407 models benefit from a redesigned air intake and the delicately curved grille now consists of a triple row of horizontal chrome bars crossed by a vertical chrome bar.

PRESS RELEASE

Frankfurt – Audi presents the highlight of the IAA 2009: the e-tron, a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels, making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 230 kW and 4,500 Nm of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h in 4.1 seconds. The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometres.

The performance figures are by no means the only evidence of the consistent and holistic strategy. The design makes it clear that the e-tron belongs in the major leagues of sports cars, and the package takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal centre of gravity and axle load distribution.

PRESS RELEASE

“The new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern flagship that captures the essence of the Bentley marque. It is elegant yet distinctly sporting in character, delivering effortless performance while within its sumptuous cabin, advanced technology sits discretely with handcrafted luxury.” 

Bentley Motors Chairman and Chief Executive, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen

While paying homage to past Bentley greats, the brief for the new Mulsanne’s design and engineering teams was to create a Bentley that represents the pinnacle of British luxury motoring.

The new Mulsanne, designed and engineered at Crewe from the ground-up, reaffirms the marque’s intent to create a new flagship Bentley with refined performance, unparalleled levels of interior luxury and coach building skills to the fore.

PRESS RELEASE

BMW is today presenting its first hybrid production cars, versions of the flagship 7 Series and X6 Sports Activity Vehicles, at the Frankfurt motor show.

Both use an intelligent combination of combustion engine and electric drive tailored specifically to each model to provide both an exceptional driving experience and impressive efficiency.

The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is the first car in the world to combine a V8 petrol engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor in a mild-hybrid concept. The BMW ­­ActiveHybrid X6 is BMW’s first full-hybrid model and is able to drive entirely under electric power and therefore free of CO₂ up to speeds of 60 km/h.

Greater efficiency, enhanced supremacy, more luxury: the BMW ActiveHybrid 7

The combination of a highly developed eight-cylinder engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and High Precision Injection with a three-phase synchronous electric motor gives the BMW ­­ActiveHybrid 7 overall system output of 342 kW and maximum torque of 700 Newton-metres.

PRESS RELEASE

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) proudly introduces 2010 model year upgrades across the popular Lancer range. With interior and exterior style changes, safety and technology upgrades across the entire range, and the addition of a Special Edition RX model, the new Lancer family is on sale at your local Mitsubishi dealership from September 16th.

MMAL’s president and CEO, Robert McEniry, today announced the updated Lancer range, and is pleased to be able to offer more on each and every model within the line-up, without price increases.

“In the current economic climate, customers are seeking great value for money without compromising on style, functionality, efficiency, safety or power. This new 2010 model year Lancer line-up lets our customers have all this without breaking the bank,” said McEniry.

PRESS RELEASE

World Premiere of Bestseller at the IAA: Volkswagen adds dynamic three-door to the Polo model range.

Bestseller with new entry-level version: As a world premiere, Volkswagen is presenting the youngest offspring of the Polo family at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA, September 17 to 27): an agile three-door. The longer doors compared to the five-door version, along with new styling of the row of side windows and the dynamic lines of the sporty C-pillars, give the car a nearly coupe-like appearance in its side profile.

PRESS RELEASE

• Audi high-performance sports car with lightweight cloth top
• Distinctive styling, carbon fibre body parts
• Mid-mounted V10 engine producing 386 kW (525 hp) and exceptional performance

Exceptional performance and breathtaking dynamism coupled with the intense sensations of open-top driving: Audi presents the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro. Its lightweight cloth top opens and closes fully automatically; several body parts are made of a carbon fibre composite material.

The V10 engine produces 386 kW (525 hp) and launches the open-top two-seater to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph). Featuring technologies such as the Audi Space Frame (ASF), quattro permanent all-wheel drive, full-LED headlights and with an innovative seatbelt microphone available as an option, the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the new top-of-the-range Audi.

PRESS RELEASE

• Leading industrial companies agree upon a built-up plan for a nationwide infrastructure
• Significant expansion of hydrogen fuelling stations network by the end of 2011
• Important milestone on the way to emission-free mobility
• Leading vehicle manufacturers pursue the development and commercialization of electric vehicles with fuel cell.
• Commercialization with several hundred thousand units anticipated from 2015 onwards

Berlin - On Thursday 10th September, leading industrial companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Berlin with the participation of the German Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee.

The agreement intends the evaluation of the setup of a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany so as to promote serial production of electric vehicles with fuel-cell. This marks a major step towards the commercialization of such locally emission-free vehicles.